1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device and method for decelerating projectiles. More specifically, the present invention relates to an improved clearing trap for decelerating projectiles discharged when performing a clearing check to ensure that the gun is empty.
2. State of the Art
In order to maintain proficiency in the use of firearms, it is common for law enforcement officers and sportsmen to engage in target practice. Participants will typically shoot at targets which are placed in front of some type of bullet containment system. After passing through the target, the bullet is typically contained in a trap where the bullet may be retrieved and recycled. Such traps include total containment systems wherein the bullet is received in a chamber, and less expensive berm traps in which the bullet is received by a bullet deceleration material.
A variety of devices to prevent accidental firing of a firearm, such as safety locks, are built into or used with handguns and rifles. Despite such safety features, accidental discharges do occur, most frequently during the loading or unloading of the firearm. While it is easy to remove a magazine or other container holding the bullets, it may be difficult to accurately determine if a bullet is contained in the chamber of the gun. Nevertheless, after a target shooter is finished it is usually a requirement that the weapon be unloaded for transportation and/or storage.
To prevent accidental discharges from occurring, it is common for the target shooter to use a clearing trap. A clearing trap is typically a small trap disposed near the main target range into which a gun is inserted and the trigger pulled. If the gun has been properly emptied, there will be no discharge and the user will be assured that the gun is empty. However, occasionally the gun will fire due to a round that was not properly removed from the chamber. Once the round is discharged, the user may pull the trigger again for assurance that the gun is empty. Once it is demonstrated that the gun is empty, the user may store or transport the gun.
Likewise, there are situations in which it is desirable to clear a weapon away from a traditional range setting. For example, police officers may use special weapons during certain types of situations, such a bank robberies or hostage situations. Because the weapons are not used on a regular basis, it is usually desirable to ensure that the weapon is not loaded when stored. Thus, for example, while an officer would typically not clear his or her service pistol, he or she may desire to clear a semi-automatic rifle when not in use.
Although clearing traps are currently available for this purpose, each has various limitations. For example, FIG. 1A shows a perspective view of a prior art clearing trap, generally indicated at 10. The clearing trap 10 has a cylindrical housing 14 which has a closed lower end 18 and an upper end 22 partially enclosed by a disk with an opening for receiving the barrel of a gun. The cylindrical housing may be held at an angle so that the user may hold the gun in a comfortable position while pulling the trigger. The cylindrical housing 14 is filled with sand to decelerate rounds which are fired therein. When the housing 14 is sufficiently full of bullets, the housing is turned upside down and the contents removed.
The configuration shown has several disadvantages. For example, the housing 14 must be made either of specially formed steel plate (i.e. steel having a thickness of 0.25 inches), or of standard steel or some other material. Forming the steel plate into the cylindrical housing 14 can be expensive, and using standard steel raises the risk that the housing will become damaged if a user fires the gun at an angle significantly deviating from the long axis of the housing. Additionally, the sand in the housing 14 is heavy and inverting the housing for clearing can require significant effort.
FIG. 1B shows a side cross-sectional view of an alternate type of clearing trap, generally indicated at 30. The trap 30 uses a circular containment chamber 34 similar to that disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,070,763; 5,113,700; 5,121,671; and 5,486,008. As the bullet moves through from the opening 38 through the circular containment chamber 34, the bullet is forced to travel in a circular pattern. While such movement is highly effective at decelerating the bullet, it can also cause lead dust to be released into the air. Additionally, the trap 30 is relatively expensive to make, as plate steel must be formed into the circular pattern and be disposed in a relatively large housing. Size is also a concern to obtain a reasonable radius of travel for the bullet.
FIG. 1C shows yet another trap, generally indicated at 50, which is used for clearing weapons. The trap has a housing 54 with an opening 58 for inserting a gun. Disposed within the housing 54 is a plurality of rubber sheets 60. As the bullet travels through the rubber sheets 60, the bullet is decelerated until it comes to a rest. While the sheets are effective at stopping the bullet and preventing fragmentation, over time they can develop large holes which reduce their ability to decelerate bullets.
Turning now to FIG. 1D, there is shown a side cross-sectional view of yet another clearing trap, generally indicated at 70, in accordance with the prior art. The clearing trap includes a housing 72 which is made of common steel. Inside the housing is a plurality of inserts made of rubber 74 and steel 76 which are designed to receive and decelerate a bullet. The housing 72 also includes a plurality of vent holes 77 for allowing gasses to escape. While the design is advantageous in that it is relatively compact and light weight, it also has disadvantages. For example, because the housing is made of common steel, a bullet ricocheting off the steel deceleration plates can potentially penetrate or at least deform the housing. For example, a .223 round was fired into the housing 72. The bullet ricocheted and caused a noticeable bulge in the housing. Additionally, an end cap 78 through which the gun is inserted blew off and hit the shooter in the face. Furthermore, in order to remove the bullet deceleration material, the top of the housing must be cut off, making frequent replacement of the deceleration material impractical.
Turning to FIG. 1E, there is shown a cross-sectional view of yet another clearing trap. The trap 80 includes a common steel outer housing 82 and a plurality of removable interlocking hardened steel plates 84 which can be removed from the housing. A bullet deceleration material 86 such as sand or chopped rubber can be disposed inside the plates to decelerate the bullet prior to impact with the plates. A removable end plate 88 attaches to a flange 90 and holds a shielding material 92 (i.e. rubber, etc.) through which the gun is inserted. Removal of the end plate 88 allows the plates 84 and deceleration material 86 to be removed for cleaning, etc.
The trap shown in FIG. 1E is effective at stopping rounds. However, it is relatively large and is generally not for use with high power rounds.
Thus, there is a need for an improved clearing trap and method for bullet deceleration which provides the advantages of prior art clearing traps without some or all of the disadvantages of the currently available systems. Such a system may be advantageous by stopping a wide variety of rounds in a compact space, and may be lightweight, relatively inexpensive and easy to use.